Happily Ever Avengers
by mikey magee
Summary: Avengers and EEA Xover. Raven has found herself in another world. The world of reality where she is only a character of a timeless story. But what will the Avengers think of her when she tells them the truth? Will they even believe her story, or will they simply forget? Can destiny be rewritten, or is fate unavoidable?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is a crossover between Avengers and Ever After High. I thought about putting it in the crossover section, but I realized that a lot of people wouldn't be able to read it if it were there. So It'll just be here in the EEA space. I hope that's alright :)**

"So…why did you call us here?" Tony asked. It had been months since the Chitari invasion, but the world was still on edge. Every now and then SHIELD would call in the old Avengers team just in case. These old meetings had been happening on and off for months…and the team was getting sick of it.

"We've found something. Something interesting this morning."

Natasha leaned forward. "Is it Loki? Or maybe one of his associates."

Fury shook his head. "It is a possibility, but we're not sure. We have the subject in a holding bay now. We want you all to take a look."

"Wait. What's the story on this one?" Tony asked. If he was going to be pulled any further into this, he was going to need more info to go on.

"Subject is female, seems to be in her teens, and here's the kicker. She fell from the sky." Fury's eye began to gleam. "Like I said, she's in custody and unconscious, but we still want you to take a look."

* * *

"What happened?" Raven awoke to a white room, with mirrors on all sides. She was surrounded. She looked around, there was not a speck of color in place. She graced her hands against her pockets…her MirrorPhone was gone. As was her pencils from school, and all the other small trinkets she had.

"Where am I?"

This room, with its closed doors and walls of mirrors, made her think of her mother. How the Evil Queen would trap her in her room for daring to be kind. It made her think of school, how Headmaster Grimm demanded she follow a destiny she did not want…Legacy Day.

That's right. She had gone to the hall to search for a way to not disappear…a spell she might have missed or a door way to where her fate could be changed.

"I must have fallen through some kind of…portal?" Her stomach felt queasy, it only did that when she traveled by mirror. Is that what happened? Had she fallen through a mirror?

"You're finally awake."

Raven Queen turned to see a dark man with an eye patch stare her down. He stood with all the authority of a king. He kind of reminded her of Headmaster Grimm.

"Uhm…hello." Raven said. What else could she have said?

"Who are you, and what are you doing in our world?"

Raven looked onward as more people poured into the room. A man with a chest that glowed, a man with arrows strapped to his back, a man who wore a shield like a cloak, and a woman who scowled like Baba Yaga. This room was becoming very crowded.

"Uh…I'm Raven. Hi." She wove her hand, "And…I have no idea where I am, or how I got here. Or, well, maybe I do…well I think I do. I think I fell through a mirror…perhaps I tripped? I'm such a fairy-fail I know. But I guess….that's what happened…right?

The lady looked to the man with the eye patch.

"She…doesn't sound Asgardian."

"Yeah, but it could be a trick."

The man with the glowing chest smirked. "You say your name is Raven right?"

Raven nodded.

"Did you come from Asgard? Or the other Nine Realms."

Raven shrugged her shoulders. "What's Asgard?"

The team looked at each other.

"This could just be a trick. For all we know she could be in league with Loki." Steve said as he rubbed his chin.

"Well what do we do? If she is a threat we can't just leave her in SHIELD headquarters. Look at what happened with Loki, he nearly took the place a part." Natasha said. She glanced over to Clint, "And if she does have some sort of mind control powers it'd be stupid to keep her here where people would be at risk to her."

"Uh…" Raven said, her hand pointing outward. She knew it was impolite to interrupt someone's conversation, but she didn't like it when people talked about her…especially while she was still there. It reminded her too much of Apple and the others. "I'm not dangerous…if that's what you're all concerned about."

At least, that's what she hoped. Destiny or no destiny, Raven was not evil.

Fury looked down to her. His one eye bouncing from side to side, trying to think of some kind of plan.

"Stark. She'll stay with you at the tower until we get this cleared up."

Natasha nodded. That was good, if she did have some kind of mind control power Tony would be immune to it, she would fail just as Loki had.

"The rest of you, I want there too to keep an eye on our little guest."

Tony moved forward, "Wait hold on. I can't have some little girl running around my tower. I-I have stuff that I-"

"Too bad. Those are my orders." Fury turned to leave. "You're all dismissed."

The man with the glowing chest turned and glared at Raven…he must have taken lessons from Baba Yaga because he was very good at it. In fact, all of them were now glaring at her, expecting her. Raven sighed, she knew those looks, the expectation of evil. The thought of a future that held unspeakable destruction. She knew those looks like the back of her cloak.

Just like at school, she thought, nothing ever changes. Not really.


	2. Chapter 2

Well, this certainly wasn't turning out to be Raven's best chapter. Somehow she had managed to find herself in another world…with strangely dressed people who liked the scowl a lot. She rolled her eyes.

"So…what _are_ your names?" Raven asked as they crated her into a large metal looking…was that a carriage? Where did the horses go? She closed her eyes, she thought she heard one of them call it a "Jet".

"Don't worry about our names ma'am." The guy with the shield said. Raven saw his jaw grow tight as he pressed several red colored buttons. He had blonde hair that shined like sun light, and even through his mask, Raven could tell he had a handsome face. He might have even been related to King Charming. Maybe Dexter had another brother he didn't know about.

She turned to the archer. He leaned into his chair and stared out the window, but something told Raven he hadn't let his guard down.

"So…this thing we're in…this jet right? It's totally _Hexcellent_, if you don't mind me saying."

Tony leaned to Steve. "Wait, what did she say? Hexcellent?"

She looked over to the man with the glowing chest. "How does it work? Is it magic? Some kind of mirror travel?"

Raven couldn't stop herself. She was never good with social interactions, especially with new people. When she was young she always did her best to strike up a conversation…sometimes she tried a little too hard, but this was the first time she had met people who didn't run in fear of her, so she wanted to make the most of it.

"You certainly ask a lot of questions." The archer said.

Raven's cheeks grew red. "W-well, I tend to ask questions when I'm nervous." Her fingers reached inside her pocket. "And about my MirrorPhone…I'd like it back, if you don't mind."

Her MirrorPhone was probably broken, and even if it wasn't there's no telling whether it would work in this new world, but she wanted it. At the very least, having something familiar in this world would give her a little comfort.

"You can have your belongings back once we've decided on whether you're a threat or not."

Raven sunk back into her chair. Were all the people on this world so…unfriendly? Raven knew what it was like to be unwanted (she _was_ the daughter of the Evil Queen after all), but these people didn't even know what her destiny was, and they already felt uneasy toward her.

"Where are you taking me, exactly?"

She had heard something about a tower. She imagined she would be locked in a high dungeon, far away from the rest of the world, just like Rapunzel. If they were going to lock her in a tower, the least they could do is give her back her phone to listen to a little music.

"You're going to Avengers Tower where we can assess the situation further." The woman spoke. She spoke with a distinct coldness that reminded Raven of her mother.

"Oh…so, are you guys gonna tell me your names, or am I supposed to guess?" Which Raven wouldn't mind doing, in a way she had already chosen names for them. The guy with the shield looked too princely to _not_ be royalty. The man with the eye patch Raven had met before must have been some kind of king with the way he ordered his men around. The archer was far like an old Robin Hood, maybe he knew Sparrow.

The woman opened her mouth once more, "Our names are unimportant-"

"I'm Steve Rogers." The man with the shield began. "The guy behind me is Tony Stark." Tony waved and smiled.

"The guy with the arrows is Clint, and that lady right beside you is Natasha."

Natasha looked to Steve and scowled, as if to say, "Why would you tell her that?"

Steve only shrugged. She would be here for a while, the least they could do is tell her their names. She hadn't done anything wrong yet, even if she _was_ working for Loki.

"We're coming up on Avengers' Tower now."

The jet came up to a large building that jutted towards the sky like a beam of light. The place looked like a palace. Was this the tower she could be locked in?

"Wow…this is enchanting." Raven said as the jet docked. The doors opened and they all poured out, one by one by one. Raven walked across the top of the tower and followed the team inside. She wished she had had more time to look around the tower, but the second she made it inside, she was shoved into a nearby room.

"You'll stay here until we're done." Natasha said, "And don't get any ideas, no matter what tricks you've got, we've got better ones. Surveillance here is twenty-four seven." Natasha scowled one last time, and gently closed the door.

Yeah, she was exactly like Raven's mom.

* * *

"So what do you guys think?" Tony asked as he plopped himself onto his couch.

"She seems like an average teenage girl to me." Clint said as he strung one of his bows.

"Average teenage girls don't just fall from the sky." Natasha countered.

"True. But if she is working for Loki, why didn't she just escape? I mean, she had plenty of opportunities." Tony said.

"So did Loki when we caught him the first time." Steve said. A lot of what was going on didn't make sense. And then there was the way she spoke. _Hexcellent_? Was that some new 21st century speak? There was no way she could be Asgardian, it just didn't fit.

"I'm still not buying it. But if she's not in league with Loki, then what is she doing here?" Natasha asked.

The team shrugged.

"She did say she fell through some…portal? Was it? I don't know she was talking too quickly." Tony chuckled at the thought. "And while we're on the subject of her, did you guys see her clothes? They were like fairy princess meets punk rocker! Wherever she's from they must have some fashion sense."

"I'm gonna go see if I can't find out a little more." Natasha said. She had outsmarted Loki, this girl would be no problem at all.


	3. Chapter 3

Raven looked around her new "Room". There were windows lined on every wall. A rug was thrown haphazardly on the floor like some kind of animal, and to her left was a bed that looked to be as comfortable as a coffin. She didn't know what these people wanted from her, she didn't even know if she could trust them completely, and even if she could, she couldn't very well tell them who she was.

The daughter of the Evil Queen.

She didn't know how far her mother's influence reached, perhaps she had found a way to harm this world, as well as the one back home. The one thing Raven did know was that she couldn't tell her new "friends" who her mother was, they already didn't trust her. She sat down on her bed.

"Great…at least it was better than the last place I was in."

How could something so simple go so wrong so quickly? Raven had been searching in one of the school's old basements to find a way to curve her fate. Maddie even told her she might find something there (a tip from the "Narrator" as Maddie called it). In the dead of night, when all of Ever After was asleep, she snuck into one of the basements. She came across a mirror…

"You comfortable in here?"

Raven snapped from her memory to the sound of that red-headed woman walking through her door. What was her name? Natasha?

"H-hello." Raven said. She stood as she spoke and then sat down. She wasn't sure what the proper manners were in this world, but she did know that it was impolite to sit down while addressing someone.

"I brought you something." Natasha said as she placed a tray of food onto a nearby desk. Natasha smiled and sat down next to Raven. "This must be very confusing for you." Natasha's voice carried a very sweet lilt, it was as if Raven were listening to Apple.

"Y-yeah. A little." Raven looked up, and for a brief second, saw Natasha's eyes change. They flickered with a dark hint for a split moment. Raven knew that look too well. Her mother was the master of it. When she was younger, her mother would smile like a princess, while plotting something behind her eyes. Her mother was always calculating her next step, no matter what evil she had done, it was never enough. Natasha had that same gleam in her eye, that hunger for something only Raven could satisfy. She knew where this was heading.

"So…where are you from?" Natasha asked. "Asgard right? You certainly have some interesting fashion senses there, don't you?"

"Uh…Ms. Natasha?" Raven asked, her voice as loud as a mouse's.

"Yes?"

"If you want something from me, all you have to do is ask. You don't have to try and trick me."

Natasha's smile faded. "What?" But she quickly recovered without missing any kind of opportunity. "I'm just trying to be nice. I know this day has been hard on you." She placed her hand on Raven's shoulder. "I just want to be friends."

Raven knew those words. The words her mother told her. The words Apple told her. The words Headmaster Grimm told her. They wanted to be her friend, but only if she did what they wanted.

That's not friendship.

Raven tilted her head. "You remind me so much of them," she said aloud.

"Of who?" Natasha asked.

Raven only shook her head. "No one."

* * *

Natasha left the girl in her room. Their talk wasn't as beneficial as she had hoped, but it still yielded useful knowledge. She wasn't Asgardian, that much was certain, and her way of speaking sounded pretty…normal, if that were the right word. There was a strong possibility she had some form of magic, or knew people with the kind of power to open portals from other worlds. Either way, she was probably very powerful. And then there where the people she spoke of…"them".

"Who was she talking about?"

Natasha walked through the hallways. Raven was still hiding something. Natasha entered the lounge once again and set next to Clint.

"So?" Clint asked. "What did you find out?"

"She's smart. She was able to see through my ploy, which leads me to believe she isn't very trusting of others. Not only that, she's still pretty tight lipped about where she's from, also, she may have magic abilities. That's all I've got so far."

Clint shrugged, "Well, nobody's perfect."

"But is she a threat?" Steve asked.

"Not from what I can see, but she's still hiding something from us. We can't be certain about her until we know what it is."

"Well," Tony began, "Maybe the best thing to do is get her to trust us by being her friend. Then she'll tell us what we want to know, and we can go from there."

"I already tried that," Natasha said, "I told you she's smart."

Steve walked back to her room, "Well, instead of pretending to be her friend, why don't we actually _be_ her friend?" Steve smiled. "She seems like she could use one."


	4. Chapter 4

Raven had been living with the Avengers for a few days. She was allowed to roam the tower, but she wasn't allowed outside without a chaperon. Most of the time it was Steve he roamed with her through the city of New York. He would always talk about being from some other time, and how this world was so new to him. It was new to the both of them.

Clint (the Robin Hood fan) liked to play jokes, and Natasha always looked like she was plotting something. Tony spent most of his time in a room Raven was not allowed to go near, and every now and then they were visited by a man named Dr. Banner who always seemed nervous every time Raven passed him. She had learned that these people were called The Avengers, the heroes who protected this world…kind of like knights, only way more hexciting.

But today, Raven and Steve were out at a store. Steve had insisted, in fact, all of them had. She still had this suspicion that they wanted something from her. Information about where she came from, how she got there and info about someone named Loki (if she had overheard Natasha correctly). They asked her questions about magic, her MirrorPhone, and whatever else they could think of…but what could Raven tell them? They'd never believe her, so she simply held her tongue, it was better for everyone involved.

"And then when I woke up Tony had placed shaving cream all over my room." Steve smiled and shoved his hands in his pockets.

The mall was pretty crowded. There where patrons everywhere, just trying to find the perfect outfit, or perfect shoes. It kind of reminded her of Apple.

"What about you?"

Raven looked to Steve. "What?"

"What about your friends? I mean…girl like you is bound to have plenty."

Raven closed her eyes. How were her friends? Was Maddie worried? Was Cedar pacing her room back and forth? Was Cerise losing sleep? And what about Apple? Sure, they didn't see eye to eye on a lot of things, but Apple lost her composure with the very mention of Raven not fulfilling her destiny. Now that Raven had disappeared without a trace…how was she taking it?

"Uh…it's fine. We're fine. Everyone's fine." Raven said. She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince. Her eyes strayed to a store that said _For Your Entertainment_ "Hey, let's go in here." She nearly ran through the crowd into the store.

How were her friends doing? She knew that Legacy Day wasn't too far away, was Apple freaking out over her disappearance? She reached into her pocket and took out her MirrorPhone.

It didn't work at all…as expected.

She looked around the store, trying to her mind off of home. She looked into display cases that held iPhones, and StarkPads. The one thing she didn't understand about this world was why things always had ridiculous names.

"So…Raven?" Steve said as he walked up to her. "Is there something in here you…want?" He asked. Where ever she came from, it certainly wasn't Asgard, that MirrorPhone Tony examined was proof enough. From what Tony had found out from that…mirror, Raven's world seemed to mix both magic and technology. They didn't know a lot about Asgard, but they did know they didn't have MirrorPhones…she couldn't have known Loki.

"Oh…no, I'm just looking around. You know." Raven slowly made her way through the CD's and into the DVD section. Steve was right behind her.

"Do they have movies where you're from?"

Raven nodded.

"What kinds?"

Raven let her fingers roam across DVD cases, "Romance, Adventure…just films I guess."

Tony had theorized that Raven might have some magical ability, her tech seemed to be based off of it, so it stood to reason that maybe her people had magic as well. Still, Steve had been trying to get Raven to open up about where she came from for days. He tried to have her eat with them, but she took her meals in her room. She loved to sing, and often did it in the tower when she thought no one was around to hear her. Tony tried to ask her if she had any magic, but every time the subject came up, she became nervous and avoided the topic all together, as if she were afraid.

Raven stopped, her eyes glued to a specific film.

"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs?" Steve read the title aloud. He looked to Raven, her eyes turning red. "H-have you seen this movie?"

Raven shook her head. "No…I've never seen it."

Steve smiled. "It's a classic…it's one of the films I've actually seen." Steve grabbed the DVD. "Here, we can watch it together. You, me, and the whole gang." He tucked the film under his arm. "Come on. It'll be fun."

Raven felt her heart skip a beat.

"Steve..." Raven heard herself saying. No matter where Raven went, she couldn't escape that story. When she tried to hide in her room, all she saw was Apple's decorations reminding her of her future. When she tried to hide in the enchanting forest, all she saw was the forest she was expected to chase Apple into. When she looked in the mirror, all she saw was her mother.

Why couldn't she escape her own fate?

"Yeah?"

The film swung in a bag that hung from Steve's hand. The crowd at the mall begun to stare, Raven heard whispers and they walked passed. Why couldn't she ever escape those stares? Were they even talking about her? Did they know what she would become, and what she tried every day to avoid?

Destiny.

_You will be the next great evil…_

Destiny.

_That is your role…_

"Don't I get a choice?"

Steve stopped, his limbs turning limp. "W-what?" He looked down to the bag, "Did you not want to watch this film? We can take it back."

Raven looked off into the distance, her words flowing from her mouth like a spirit. "I-I mean," she shook her head, "Never mind."


	5. Chapter 5

"Steve, are you there?" The Avengers ID badge of in Steve's pocket began to buzz. It sounded like Tony.

"Yeah," Steve said as the card fumbled in his grip. "What is it?"

"There's an attack north of Avenue. You're gonna have to cut your little play date with the our guest short. Over and out."

Steve looked to Raven, he couldn't just leave her here alone, it was too dangerous, but he also couldn't take her along, who knows what would happen.

"Raven, I-"

"I heard." Raven smiled, "You're afraid of leaving me alone but you also don't want to take me along because you think I'll get hurt, right?" Raven nearly rolled her eyes, those were the exact same things Dexter studied in Heroics 101. The brave hero who must choose between keeping the "damsel in distress" safe or defeating the great villain. Ultimately the hero would take the damsel along where she would get into trouble and he would be forced to save her. A meets B meets C.

"Y-yeah. But I-"

"You're gonna take me along and tell me to find someplace safe to hide."

Steve looked stunned. How did she know that?

Raven smiled, and grabbed the bag from Steve's hand. "Let's go."

* * *

It didn't take long for the two to reach the site. The buildings were filled with craters, and the ground looked as if it had been mauled by a fire-breathing beast.

"Raven, take cover."

Raven ducked behind a car and crouched down.

Steve slowly walked through the wreckage. "Ironman? Hawkeye?" Where was everyone? Steve pulled out his ID card. "Tony? Can you hear me?"

And then, like a flash of light, Ironman came soaring through a hotel window, and crashed against the pavement.

"Hey Steve, glad you could make it." He said as he moved to his feet.

"Tony, what's the status?"

Tony removed his face mask. "It's the Wrecker. He's going on a rampage. Nothing big."

Steve raised his eyebrow. "So…is that why he sent you flying through a window?"

Tony chuckled. "Just lulling him into a false sense of security. We've cleared the area so no one would get hurt…where's Raven?"

Steve looked to the side of the car where Raven had hidden. "She's taking cover."

"What?" Tony nearly fell over, "Why didn't you take her back to the tower first? This is too dangerous for her, and we still don't know if she's even on our side."

"Tony, you made it sound urgent. She'll be fine…right?"

The ground began to shake. Even the car that Raven sought shelter from began to tremble. "Oh boy." Raven peeked from behind the car to see the a man with a large crow bar hunched over like some kind of troll. He stood as tall as a suit of armor, and he scowled like Professor Bad Wolf. He was like a villain from a fairy tale.

"Stark!" He screamed. "I ain't through with youse yet." He pointed his bar like a sword, and Raven could feel this subtle…magic emanating from it. It reminded her of that old mirror her mother used to stare at.

The man jumped and slammed his hammer down onto the ground, making the earth tremble once again. Steve stepped back, and reached for a shield that wasn't there.

"That's right."

The Wrecker raised his crowbar once again and struck Ironman across his face, and once again he went flying. Raven crouched behind the car. They were in trouble, she didn't know much about this world, but she did know magic when she saw it. She looked down at her hands, her palms were caked with dirt. Maybe…maybe she could do something?

But her magic wouldn't let her do anything good, it would only backfire and make the situation worse…she couldn't be a hero.

"Steve, behind you!"

Raven heard a loud crack and the earth shook again.

Her hands clenched the plastic bag that held the film she and Steve had bought.

Destiny. Her mother's destiny. Her family's destiny. Bound to a fate she never wanted.

"He's getting closer."

She wanted a choice…

Raven felt something deep within her grow, taller and stronger like a beanstalk. Reaching from the deep dark pit of her soul out into the light.

Stronger, and stronger.

_What if I don't want to take the pledge? _

Her magic was beginning to grow.

_What if I want to make my own happily ever after?_

"Raven! Run, get out of here! He's coming near you!"

_What if…I want to choose my own destiny?_

And then…it all released.

In a flash of light and sound, The Wrecker went flying across the pavement and into a FedEx truck.

"What?"

Raven looked around and saw the world as it was now. Broken glass, shattered cars, and a man knocked out on the pavement. What had she done?

"Raven?" Tony said as he came up to her. "That was amazing! I mean, I suspected you might have some latent magical ability, but that was-"

Raven shook. What had she done? What had her magic done? No matter where she went, she always brought some kind of destruction. She really was her mother's daughter, wasn't she? Tears fell from her eyes, and no matter what she did, she couldn't make them stop. When she was young, her mother told her she would become one of the most feared monsters in all of Ever After. The Evil Queen felt pride in that idea. Her daughter, feared throughout all the land, causing destruction wherever she went.

But Raven never wanted that. The idea of fire and brimstone haunted her dreams every night. The only thing Raven wanted to do was help people, but even that was out of her reach. Why couldn't she fight this?

"Raven? Are you alright?"

Steve placed his hands on her shoulder, Tony looked to see if there were any bruises on her, but she was completely fine. She was safe, everyone was safe.

So why wouldn't she stop crying?


	6. Chapter 6

"So…how is she?" Steve asked as he placed a mug of coffee next to Tony. After the team had come home, Raven had rushed into her room, tears staining her cheeks.

Tony leaned against his desk. "She still hasn't left her room." Tony thought about using JARVIS to see if she was alright, but he realized that might have been too much…even for him. He didn't know much about Raven, but what he did know was that she did not trust easily.

What exactly happened to her back home? What was it they weren't seeing?

"Do you think she'll let me study her? It's pretty obvious she has some serious magical ability. Maybe we could find some kind of correlation between her and Loki's abi-"

"So you want to take a crying girl and ask to study her like some kind of frog. Is that was you're asking Tony?"

Tony shook his head. "I mean after she's done crying. Think she'd be up to it?"

Steve rolled his eyes. What happened to basic human decency?

"Oh also," Tony reached down under his desk and pulled out a wrinkled plastic bag. "You dropped this back at the fight scene. Snow White, huh? Didn't take you for the musical type."

Steve snatched the bag from Tony's grip. "It's not for me, it's for Raven. She's never seen the movie." Steve sighed. He had to make sure Raven was alright. "Why don't I go tal-"

"No." Tony said. "She's been with you all day, she's probably sick a' you, Natasha's too scary, Clint's too stupid, and Bruce doesn't really seem to care too much, so that leave's me." Tony smiled. "I'll get her feelin' better in no time, and maybe I can see if I can't convince her to do that little flash of light trick again."

Raven hadn't left her bed since she had returned. This wasn't the first time she had lost control of her magic. There was that time she almost hurt those kids back at school. Or the time she set the flower fields on fire when she tried to turn them into butterflies. Raven kept her eyes closed, she knew that if her mother had seen her today she would cackle with pride

And that scared her.

A knock came at the door. "Raven?"

She didn't answer.

"I really hope you have clothes on because I'm coming in. Okay? Okay."

The door opened and in walked Tony Stark, glowing chest and all. His lips revealed a toothy grin that made Raven think of Headmaster Grimm.

"So…" Tony looked around the room, unable to make eye contact. "That's some power you got there kiddo." He sat down on the bed next to Raven, she didn't even look at him. "So, is that like standard issue where you're from, or are you some kind of super witch?"

She looked up from her pillow. "I'm sorry," she said, "But I don't feel much like talking right now."

Tony shuttered, maybe he should of let Steve talk to her. He wasn't really that great with kids, let alone teenagers who could probably vaporize him in a second. Maybe he could just make a little small talk.

"Steve tells me you've never seen Snow White." Tony laughed. "If you want I could fire that movie up and you could watch it in Stark-Vision. Just a little thing I'm working on. It's like you're really in the movie. Sound, sights, smell. You can feel the breeze and smell the food. You can feel like you're really a part of the story."

Raven shot straight up, her eyes dilating. _No._

"Woah woah," Tony held his hands up as if as a shield. "Alright, you can just watch it traditionally." He shrugged his shoulders. "You're almost as bad as Steve."

Raven didn't know why she allowed Steve to pick that movie. That story was everywhere, why didn't she choose some stupid romantic comedy?

Tony rubbed the back of his neck. This wasn't working. Change of Topic. What did teenagers like to do these days? Go to clubs? Did she have music where she came from? What about her parents? What did they do? Maybe she'd talk about them? Just ask her something…something simple and easy.

"Uh…what do you want to be when you grow up?"

Perfect.

"W-what…did you ask me?" And for the first time since Tony had entered the room, Raven sat up, her eyes red but filled with genuine curiosity.

"What?" Tony asked. "Do you not know? Well, that's alright, you're still young I-"

"No…it's just that, no one's ever asked me that before." Raven said. She stood straight and tall.

"What do you mean?" Tony thought she was joking. "What about your parents, or teachers…"

"Where I come from" Raven began "You don't really…" she hesitated, would he even believe her?

"What? What are you talking about?"

"You don't get a choice in what you do with your life."

Tony looked around and finally to Raven, what was she talking about? "I don't follow."

Raven looked away. She was destined to poison and deceive. She was fated to spread fear throughout the land. She was destined to be evil. "Never mind."

She didn't want to let everyone else down…but what was so wrong with wanting to live her own life, on her own terms? _I want my own Happily Ever After…_

Raven closed her eyes. Every day she had to deal with the stares, and the whispers as she walked through the halls of Ever After High.

_That's Raven Queen_

_The next Evil Sorceress_

_Run everyone! _

It bothered her, but she never let it define her. She never tried to deceive anyone, despite what her mother told her. She never tried to harm anyone, despite how Grimm tried to manipulate her. She never tried to ruin anyone's own story, despite Apple's claims otherwise.

She was her own person, and if she couldn't prove that in her own world, then she would prove it in this one.

Tony rolled his eyes. "So…I was hoping you could let me study your magic a little. You know, maybe see how it works, and if we do that maybe we can get you home. So, it's a win-win for everyone."

Raven felt her spine tingle.

"It would really be a big help to us…kind of."

Back home, Raven was forbidden to use her magic for anything but villainy. So spoke her mother. So spoke Headmaster Grimm, so spoke her destiny.

But this was _her_ story. Not theirs. This was her life. This was her power. Her destiny revere, refuse…

"Mr. Stark, I'd love to help you."

…or rewrite.


	7. Chapter 7

This situation was getting serious. It had been days since anyone had seen Raven Queen. Where could she had gone? Everyone knew she didn't want to sign the book, but would she really runaway just to avoid her destiny?

The school was abuzz with rumors and gossip.

"I heard she just hiding out somewhere until Legacy Day's over."

"What is her problem anyway?"

"I know!"

Despite the worried glances, and gossip, there was no one more worried than Apple White, for she, out of everyone, had the most to lose.

"If we don't find Raven soon, then I'll never get my destiny." Apple said to Headmaster Grimm. He had called her in from her Princessology class to talk about her disappearance. Perhaps they could find a way to locate her.

"Headmaster," she began, "I am so sorry, I know you charged me with looking out for Raven and convincing her to follow her destiny, but now…now…"

Grimm placed his hand in the air, stopping her from going any further. "Do not worry my dear. We shall find her." Grimm's eyes narrowed, if she wasn't found it could mean disaster for all of them.

They had to, that was the one thing Apple knew, for all of their sakes.

If anyone knew where Raven might have gone, it would have to be Maddie. Those two were always together, and Maddie was the one person who didn't run from Raven when she walked down the halls.

Maddie was…for lack of a better term…mad. Maddie Hatter sat in the Castlteria at lunch time, chewing on her spoon as if it were a straw.

"Maddie?" Apple said as she walked up. "Can we talk?"

Without looking up Maddie nodded and gestured for Apple to take a seat. Apple liked everyone, she was meant to be the fairest of the all, the loving soul that helped all, but when it came to Maddie…Apple felt differently. Of course she was still pleasant to the Wonderlandian, but the ideas Maddie encouraged Raven to pursue were frightening. It was one thing for Raven to deny her destiny, but it was another thing entirely for Maddie to _encourage_ Raven's rebellious attitude. When Raven refused to be evil, it was Maddie who stood by her side. When Raven refused to brew potions to make the teachers sick, it was Maddie who defended her. Didn't Maddie know that not signing the book would mean Raven would disappear? What kind of a friend would do that?

"What is it Apple?"

Apple striaghtned her hair and tried to sound as authoritative as possible, "As you well know Raven has gone missing, and the entire school is trying to find her."

Maddie nodded. "Yes, the narrator told me something about that."

Apple tried not to roll her eyes, that wasn't something a queen should do. "Well, seeing as you're her Best Friend Forever After, I was hoping you might have an idea of where she had gone. Do you remember where you last saw her?" Apple leaned forward, Maddie was her only hope of finding Raven and keeping her destiny safe. If Maddie didn't know then…then…

"If the rain falls silently, then no one will be aware of when it stops." Maddie said with a smile.

"W-what?"

Maddie shook her head. "Oh…was I speaking in Riddlish again?" She giggled. "Sorry, the last time I saw Raven she was headed to one of the vaults underneath the school."

Why would Raven go there?

Apple bowed slightly and thanked Maddie for her cooperation.

The vaults underneath the school. She had to tell the headmaster, perhaps he would understand what had happened.

"She what?" Headmaster Grimm asked. "Those vaults are no places for students. They are off limits for a reason." Grimm's face was beginning to turn a shade of red that Apple had only seen in fruit baskets.

"What does this mean? I-"

"Those vaults contain artifacts that are unpredictable. Even I don't know what most of them do."

Apple's hands grew cold. They were that dangerous? What if Raven had disappeared because she's…

"So…does that mean Raven is…" Apple's hands begun to shake.

Quickly, the headmaster raised his hands to reassure her. "No no my dear. There is no chance of that."

"Then where is she? What if she doesn't come back?" The thought of Apple's story without an evil queen made Apple grow green. What would happen to her destiny if there was no one to stand in her way? What would become of all of their destinies if the story never had a proper villain?

Raven needed to be found…

"I'm going to the vaults to look for clues."

"Your majesty wai-"

But before he could even finish, Apple had run out of his office and into the hallway. Apple had heard of the vaults but never once thought of visiting them, it was not her place to question the rules.

But this was an emergency.

She raced down the stairs, and through every corridor she could see. Did Raven go into this room? What about the one on the left?

"Which one?" Apple asked. She closed her eyes, this was not the time to panic. A queen knew how to handle these situations with grace and intelligence. Now think.

Even though Raven did not like her destiny, she still had a connection to it. She would gravitate towards something…magical. Apple looked around…and there in the corner of her eye stood a mirror.

A round looking glass with a black rim that held a strange majesty.

"Mirror mirror on the wall." Apple spoke.

It was a part of their story after all, even if Raven wanted to deny it. Apple saw her reflection in the mirror, a perfect pale face that would not be deterred. Without thinking, she placed her hands on the rim, its black border felt like a unicorn's horn, hard and surging with unknown power.

This had to be the one…

"Please…" she said

For my destiny.

"…take me to Raven."

And in a flash of silent light, Apple was gone.


	8. Chapter 8

It was blinding. It was warm, and somehow…Apple found herself amongst a rainbow bridge that stretched out, far into eternity.

"Hello?" Apple looked around, nothing but stars for as far as she could see, but in the distance stood a light that stretched out. It was warm and glowed like a sword in a lake, a beacon of something…greater.

Without thinking, she walked towards it. Perhaps Raven saw the same light and is waiting there now. Yes…that has to be it. Whatever that light was, Raven must be there.

"I'm coming Raven, don't worry."

Apple made her way towards the light, one step at a time. She tried not to look down, (not that it would matter, she could barely see anything without her glasses), but one wrong step and she could go tumbling down into who knows where.

She took a deep breath.

"Come on Apple…"

It was times like these that she regretted putting on heels in the morning.

"Just take it slow…"

Don't fall. She hated this. This was not a part of her destiny. Traveling to a distant world where her nemesis hid was not a part of her story. It was wrong. It was unpredictable. It was everything she knew to be dangerous. Why did Raven insist on placing their lives in such danger? Why was Raven so dissatisfied with destiny?

"A queen knows how to handle tough situation-"

Destiny was the only thing that kept them safe.

She breathed. Just one more…

Her heel caught itself on some small rock…and she slipped.

"No."

And like Icarus without wings, she tumbled to the starry nowhere below. Falling and falling.

"No…"

No prince to save her from her fall. No kiss to wake her from her sleep. No ensured destiny to keep her safe. Falling and falling, with nowhere to land.

But she did land.

"Young maiden, are you alright?"

Right into someone's strong arms. Apple felt soft chainmail against her skin, and strong buttons pressed against her blouse.

"H-hello?" She slowly opened her eyes to a storm of blonde hair.

"Hold on my lady." He said as he squeezed her tighter.

Apple didn't have the strength to say anything more, and like her tale had foretold, she fell asleep…but a kiss wasn't needed to break the spell. Not this time.

* * *

Apple awoke to the sound of voices.

"Where did she come from?"

"I do not know, I found her falling from the Bifrost."

"Perhaps when she awakens she may be able to provide us with the answers we seek."

"Yes. I understand. I shall attend to her at once."

Apple looked around, she was surrounded by blankets, pillows, and sheets that could have come from her mother's own castle. The walls were lined with red curtains that hid the sunlight. What a fairy perfect room. Fit for royalty.

"You have awaken."

Apple turned from the red curtains to a tall, strong man who stood in front of her. His hair, as blonde as the sun, fell down to his shoulders, and his smile seemed to glisten like fairy dust.

He was enchanting.

"I am Thor, Prince of Asgard." He kneeled down against Apple's bedside. "I bid thee welcome."

Apple took a deep breath and stood up, straight and tall, just as he had practiced in her classes. "I am Princess Apple White. Daughter of Snow White." She bowed deeply. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance your majesty." When addressing someone of royalty, you must always use your proper title. That was rule number one.

"Princess," Thor began, "Might you explain how you came to be on the Bifrost?" Thor asked. "If you feel you have your strength back."

Apple nodded, perhaps he had seen Raven, maybe he could help her. It was worth a try, wasn't it?

"I have come here on an urgent mission to locate a sorceress and return her home."

"A sorceress?" Thor asked. Apple could almost see his face turn into disgust at the thought of the word. "We have had difficulties with sorcery in the past…this sorceress...is she dangerous?" Thor asked.

Apple didn't really have an answer for that. Was Raven dangerous? Yes, absolutely. She was a sweet girl, but she placed everyone from their own world at risk. Was she evil? Would she hurt anyone on intention? No…but that was precisely the problem.

"Her name is Raven Queen, and she alone has the ability to rob every one of their own happiness."

That's what Raven was doing…wasn't it?

Raven was unsatisfied with her role in their story, but it was her role, she needed to embrace it just like everyone else. Why would Raven want to ruin their story just because she was given a role she may not want? How could she be so selfish? "If I do not find her, and bring her home soon…then all may be lost. You wouldn't happen to know where she is, would you?" Apple asked, her face brightening.

"I am sorry, but you are the only person we have seen on the Bifrost."

So Raven wasn't here…wherever here was. So now what? Apple had almost fallen to her doom, in search of Raven, and she still wasn't any closer to finding her. What if Raven _was_ on this Bifrost, but had fallen off, just as Apple almost had. What if there was no one to catch her and she simply kept falling and falling? What if Raven was already-

"Princess Apple?" Thor asked, snapping Apple out of her head.

"Y-yes your majesty?"

Thor raised his strong hands, and wiped away a tear from Apple's eye. It had just now occurred to her that she was crying. Raven had to be found. Without her, there could be no more Snow White. No Dwarfs, no love at first sight, no true love's kiss.

"Worry not my lady, for we shall find this enchantress and we shall bring her to justice." Thor slowly smiled. "You have the word of a son of Asgard."

Nothing.

"Thank you Thor." Apple said. "I really hope you're right."


	9. Chapter 9

"I take it that you understand why I called you here?" Headmaster Grimm said.

Briar Beauty stood in front of his desk, her pink sunglasses upon her head. She nodded. Briar wanted nothing more than to go out, start a party, or get planning for the Legacy Day dance, but this was a grave matter.

Both Apple and Raven had gone missing.

"At first Raven had disappeared, and now I am afraid that Apple has disappeared trying to find her." Grimm turned to the window, his face hinged with a dark glow. Everything was unraveling.

"So…what do I do headmaster? How do I-"

"Yes me dear." Grimm turned back to his desk and pulled out a small circular object. It reflected in the light like a mirror. "This is a relic of old magic. Once long ago, our ancestors used to travel to different worlds to spread their stories, but as time went on, those ways died out." Headmaster Grimm placed the sphere in Briar's hands. "I tried to tell Apple of this but she ran out far too quickly for me to explain. She may very well be where Raven is now, but she has no way of getting back home."

Briar nodded.

"Simply say who it is you want to be near, and the sphere will take you there, and when you are ready to return home, speak the words and home you will be."

Briar tightened her hands and nodded. She understood. This wasn't the first time Raven's actions put her best friend in danger, but she would have no more of it. None of the Royals would. Briar didn't know why Raven was so adamant about destroying Apple's future, but that dream would end now.

"Do you understand your task?"

Briar nodded.

"Hexcellent."

Briar left Headmaster Grimm's office and headed for the Castleteria. She had a mission, but that didn't mean she would do it alone.

"You want us to what?" Daring ask, nearly spitting out his cola. Briar was thankful he didn't, her shoes were new.

"I need you guys to help me find Raven and Apple."

"But Briar, no one knows where they are." Ashlynn said. She was just as worried as everyone else, but the guards had looked everywhere and had had no luck, what made Briar think they could do any better?

"Not only that but we have no way of even getting to where they are." Blondie said, "I keep hearing rumors that there not even in Ever After anymore."

Briar rolled her eyes, "It doesn't matter where they are, we'll find Apple and bring her home." Briar shot a look towards Daring that made his heart stop. "If anyone should be leading this charge it's you Daring. You're supposed to be the hero. What are they teaching you in those classes?"

"That it's stupid to charge in face first with no idea of what you're doing." Daring countered. He missed Apple just as much as anyone else, but there was no sense in getting flustered over it…it would mess up his hair.

Briar took out the sphere and placed it on the table. "The headmaster gave me this, it can locate Apple and take us to her."

The sphere rolled onto the table, and the entire group grew silent.

"Look, I don't like this anymore than you guys do, but Apple's our friend and we have to do everything we can to help her. Are you guys with me?"

Ashlynn's hand trembled, but she nodded her head. Blonde, for the first time they had ever known her, put her MirrorPad away and nodded. Daring's jaw tightened and his eyes flashed. Briar got the message.

"Alright then. Let's go."

* * *

It didn't take long before all of Asgard was charmed by their new guest. The servants were beguiled by Apple's manners, the blacksmith was enchanted by her voice, and even the All Father was impressed by her knowledge of court.

"You certainly know your politics, Lady Apple." Thor said.

Apple giggled, "Yes, I want to do my best to be as prepared as possible for my destiny."

Thor's cape fluttered in the breeze as the two walked. "And you will make a fine queen."

Apple's face shifted, her once bright eyes gave way to a dull doubt. Thor could see it as clearly as a fog. She still worried of the sorceress that threatens her rule. Thor closed his eyes, he knew what treachery magic could bring, especially when wielded by unworthy hands. Loki was proof enough of that. Apple did not say much about this Raven, but the one thing that was clear was that she was the one thing that could undo Apple's future, and Thor could not let that happen.

There was something about Apple. Something that made Thor…and not just Thor, but everyone, want to protect Apple. Keep her from harm; it seemed even the very weather brightened when she smiled.

What kind of witch would ever want to bring misery to her? Yet, the ways of the mad are unknown to all. Thor had no idea Loki had harbored such hatred towards him. Such jealousy, such bitterness; it had grown in his brother's heart like a vine around a tree. Strangling every inch until there was nothing left but anger.

Is that what magic did? Is that what this Raven had gone through? And now, like her brother, she seeks the ruination of all.

Neigh, that could never happen. Not on Midgard, Asgard, or anywhere, Thor would not allow it.

"Perhaps we can have Heimdall find her." Thor said.

"Heimdall?" Apple asked.

"Aye, he is the watcher. His sight allows him to find anyone throughout the Nine Realms, if Raven is anywhere to be found, Heimdall shall find her." Thor smiled brightly.

This was Hexcellent, if Heimdall could find Raven, then Apple could return her home, and convince her to sign the book. Everything would be alright.

Thor took Apple to the end of the Rainbow Bridge, where Heimdall stood vigil.

"Ho, Heimdall, I have need of your all seeing gaze."

Heimdall stood proud and tall like a giant, a sword plunged deep into the earth where he stood. This man had a presence that could make any giant seem small.

"Yes my prince, I know of your troubles, but I am afraid my gaze may not be able to locate the sorceress you seek."

"What?" Thor asked. "But you are Heimdall, your gaze can find anything."

"Yes, but there are some that even I cannot see. There are magics that cloak others from my sight, Loki is proof enough of that. Who's to say this sorceress does not have the same abilities? Who's to say she is not loyal to your brother?"

What Heimdall said was true. His sight was great, but there were still limits, if nothing else, this witch could simply redirect Heimdall's sight to another place, giving her time to escape when Thor went looking.

"But perhaps there is another way." Thor said. Friend Stark, the man of iron, had said that his mortal science could match any feat done in Asgard, perhaps he might have a solution.

Thor turned to Apple and smiled. "Fret not my lady, for I know of a way to bring Raven out of hiding." Thor's eyes flashed like lightning. "Have you ever heard of the Avengers?"

* * *

If Maddie had known Raven would be gone for so long, she might not have told Raven about the mirrors in the old vaults. It was beginning to get scary, so Maddie did the only sensible thing she could think of. She went down into the vault of lost tales to speak to Giles Grimm. He too, was worried about Raven, but there wasn't anything he could do. He was trapped inside the vault after all.

"The madness shall rise to the new dawn." He said.

There may not be anything he could do, but there was something Maddie could do. He placed a small sphere in Maddie's hand.

"A new world can't be seen unless others open their minds to what has been."

This sphere was once used as a way to travel to other worlds, but it is now a part of forgotten magic. Maddie could use it to find Raven and return home.

"Thank you Giles."

Maddie was…for lack of a better word…mad. But even she wasn't crazy enough to take on this challenge alone. Raven was at stake, she needed as much insurance as she could get, and she knew where to get plenty.

"I don't know about this Maddie." Cedar said as she examined the sphere. Maddie had called everyone she could think of and told them to assemble in the Enchanted Forest. Cedar, Cerise, and Hunter. Out of everyone in the school they were the ones who understood Raven's idea, or at least, they were the ones who defended it.

"Well, what choice do we have Cedar? We can't just wait around, Raven could be in real danger."

Hunter stepped forward and puffed his chest out. "I say we do it. Raven's our friend and she needs our help." He wasn't about to turn his back on someone in need. That's not what heroes did.

"And I agree" Cedar said, "But we don't know what's over there. We need a plan, or at least something we can use to protect ourselves."

Cerise stepped forward. "We'll be fine. Count me in."

Cedar took a deep breath and agreed. Cedar was so worried about Raven that her arms were beginning to break out into splinters. She wanted to throw caution to the wind and leapt right into the fray, but she knew better. The tree that grows the fastest often gets chopped down the first. But this was Raven they were talking about.

"Alright." Cedar handed the sphere back to Maddie. "I'm in too."

Maddie smiled. "Tea-rrific."

She held out the sphere and closed her eyes. _The birds fly diagonally; return them home to the forests. Help them find their way._

"Please, take us to Raven."


	10. Chapter 10

Thor was incredible; he could even put Daring to shame. When he walked the halls trembled, when he spoke, the people listened, when fought the mountains bowed. He was a prince, and there was no denying that. His destiny was to protect others with his might, and it was a destiny he embraced with every fiber of himself.

They had that in common, no matter what, neither he nor Apple would let anything come between them and their destinies. It wasn't because they were selfish, far from it, following the path set for them was the only way to keep themselves and everyone else safe.

It was for the good of the people.

"Lady Apple, before we go to meet my comrades we must be ready. If Raven is as you say, she may have many tricks up her sleeve." Thor's eyes narrowed, and his jaw tightened, as if he were suppressing a memory he wished to never speak of again.

"You speak as if you have a tale to tell." Apple said.

Thor merely shook his head. He knew what sorcery could do to people, both to its wielder and its victims. Loki, his brother, was proof of that. Thor never knew that his brother was capable of such madness. Was sorcery to blame? If Loki had focused his studies to the noble way of battle, perhaps his fate could have been avoided…what if?

The two walked through the courtyard towards the Bifrost. Thor placed his hand on his hammer's hilt and scowled. "Before we depart for Midgard I must know all of Raven's abilities. Is there anything she might use to gain an advantage?" Thor asked.

There wasn't much Apple knew about Raven's abilities. She never really used them for anything besides floating pieces of furniture that were too heavy for her. Not only that, she never took any of her magic classes seriously. For all Apple knew, Raven could be as powerful as her mother…or not.

"I do not know the extent of her powers."

Thor nodded. "Then we must be extremely cautious."

"Why?" Apple asked. Granted Raven may be dangerous, she _was_ destined to be the most hated of them all, but there wasn't much Raven could do with her power…at least that's what Apple thought.

"The last sorcerer I and my comrades encountered was powerful. He was able to control the thinking of others. He called an army to Midgard and he rained fire down on everyone."

Apple nearly stopped in her tracks. That was so horrible…not even the worst villains from Ever After would do something so heartless. Not even the Evil Queen. But deep inside Apple's chest she felt something grow…was it…respect? Whoever this sorcerer was, there was no doubt that he owned who he was. He was the grand villain tasked to wreak havoc, and Thor the brave hero destined to stop him. They both had their roles and played them. Why couldn't Raven be more like Thor's foe? Why couldn't she embrace the evil that was inside her? Wouldn't that be easier on her? Why did she try so hard to fight her own nature?

"My lady?" Thor said as they reached the Bifrost. "We are here. Do you feel you are up for the task ahead?"

Apple nodded. She needed to find Raven and bring her back home. Her destiny, and the destiny of others depended on it. Apple did not know why Raven was acting so selfishly, but it was her job to return the story to its proper place. That's what a queen is for.

"Yes Thor, I am ready."

* * *

Midgard looked an awful lot like Ever After. Only instead of people wearing crowns, they wore hats to their sides. Instead of people snapping their fingers to their MirrorPhones, they plugged themselves into Iphones. What a strange world this was.

"Avenger's Tower is yonder." Thor said pointing to the distance. "The last time I visited the man of Iron said he was working on something of great importance, maybe we could use it to find your sorceress." Thor grinned as he looked across the distance, his eyes dreaming of a great battle ahead. "Onward."

Avenger's Tower was breathtaking. If Rapunzel had been locked in a place like this, she wouldn't have wanted to leave. The tower rose to the sky like a castle flag. It stood tall and proud.

"This is enchanting." Apple whispered. Perhaps this world wasn't so strange.

"Look" Thor pointed to the sky, as a large suit of armor flew from the window down onto the ground. "This," Thor said, "Is Iron Man, or Tony Stark."

The suit of armor's face plate opened to reveal a man with a goatee. Apple stepped back and bowed. "Hello sir, I am Apple White." She did not know what his status was in this world, but it was best to believe he was of some royal stature. Besides he was a friend of Thor's.

"Uh…hey." Tony said. "You know you don't have to bow like that." He rubbed his hand against the back of his neck. "Jarvis sensed some kind of anomaly outside, thought I'd check it out." He smiled at Thor, "Really glad to see you again."

"Where are the others?" Thor asked. "There is a great evil that threatens the world of Lady Apple." Thor said as he pointed towards his guest.

Tony raised his eyebrow. Why did Thor have a teenager with him? Not only that, but there was something about this girl that looked kind of familiar. "What evil?" Tony asked.

"A sorceress from Apple's world has escaped, and I need your aid in tracking her."

Just then Natasha, Clint, and Bruce came out from beyond the tower.

"Hey look, Goldie Locks is back." Clint said.

Apple tried not to laugh, Thor had nice hair, but it was nowhere near Blondie's, or her mother's.

"Friends." Thor called out.

This was hexcellent, with all of these heroes Apple would have no trouble finding Raven, and then they both could return home safe and sound, just in time for Legacy Day.

"I see Thor has a teenager as well." Natasha said as she walked up. Her eyes darted up and down, taking in their new guest. Why did she seem so familiar?

"I miss your meaning Lady Natasha." Thor said.

"Wait, here she comes now." Clint said as he stepped aside.

Out of the tower stepped Steve Rogers, and a young lady whose hair fell down to her back. Her dress looked like the sky at night, and her lips curved into a smile.

"Raven?" Apple called out.

Raven stopped and her eyes grew wide. "A-Apple?" Raven didn't know whether to jump for joy, or run and hide. How did Apple get here?

"This is Raven? The witch?" Thor asked as he readied his hammer. "Friends, you have taken in Apple's enemy." Magic was a tricky thing, Thor knew that. There was no time to hesitate, for one moment too long and everything would be over. Loki taught him that. Thor did not know how this sorceress had entranced his friends, but he was not going to allow her to do as she pleased. He grabbed his weapon and shouted. "You will release my friends from your hex witch, and then you shall return to your own realm."

Raven looked around, confused and afraid, "W-what?"

"Thor," Tony said as he stepped up, "What are you talking about? Raven's harmless."

Harmless. That was something he once believed his brother to be. A harmless prankster who meant no harm. But he was wrong, and Thor would not make the same mistake twice. Clearly Raven had used her magic to ensnare the Avengers, just as Loki had, and if she was not going to break her spell, then Thor would have to do it.

He swung his hammer above his head, over and over, the clouds began to gather and thunder struck the land like a mallet.

Apple looked to the sky as the world around her changed. What was happening?

"Hear me now witch, I will not allow your treachery to engulf the land I love."

The thunder grew stronger and stronger with every second. The sky was awakening.

"Thor," Apple yelled out, "Stop. You don't know what you're doing." But her voice could not be heard over the fury of Thor's hammer, or the strike of lightning against the soil, or the wind that howled across the plane like wolves. Thor was quick, too quick for even the Avengers to stop in time.

"Have at thee!"

And with one mighty strike, Thor slammed his hammer to the ground, raising the ground to the sky, and the thunder to the earth, and in a flash of light, Raven felt her body grown numb, and her senses dull, like a spell that had gone wrong. She was in the air. And on the ground just as quickly…

The thunder died down like the rolling shores. The wind stalked away, off to find another victim, and the sky returned to its slumber.

"…Raven?"


	11. Chapter 11

None of this made any sense. Tony had simply flown out of the tower to meet Thor, and now Raven was on the ground, and the young lady Thor had brought with him was in near tears by her side.

"Thor? What the hell did you just do?" Tony had said, his body was shaking in his armor. Steve had rushed over to Raven's side, checking her pulse and looking her over.

She wasn't waking up.

"I-I do not understand" Thor said, "Her spell, it should have been broken."

"What spell?" Steve shouted. "All you did was beat up a girl who did nothing!" Steve's face turned a light red as he stared at Raven's body.

Tony took a breath and tried to calm himself down. JARVIS's censors indicated that she was still breathing…so, that was a good sign.

"We need to get Raven back to the to-"

And before Tony could even finish his sentence, a flash of light in the far distance blinded all who stood too close. The light morphed and flowed like gelatin, and as it disappeared, in its place stood four figures….four teenagers.

"What is going on?" Tony asked.

Four strange teenagers…a girl with hair that stretched out in all directions, a young maiden whose face was hidden by a red cloak, a boy who stood strong and proud, and a girl who…was she made of wood?

"Spelltacular! We're here," said the young man as he stepped forward, "We need to find-"

"Raven?" All four turned the Raven's body as it laid against the asphalt like a doll. They rushed over, tripping over themselves as they ran to her side. Their voices a jumble of questions and accusations.

"W-what's going on?"

"How did this happen?"

"Apple? What the Spell did you do?"

Apple slowly backed away, her hands folded over her arms like a blanket. "I-I"

Tony shook his head. What was going on?

"Sir?" Jarvis said, cutting through the chaos. "I am sensing another energy spike, same as the one that just occurred."

And no sooner had it been mentioned did another ball of light appear before Thor, and as it gave way, four teenagers stood in its place. Two young women who wore crowns atop their heads, a maiden whose hair flowed in the breeze, and a young man…a prince, who stood with a face like marble.

"Apple?" One of them said. "We've found you…what's wrong?" She asked as Apple hugged her arms, and buried her head into her shoulder.

"Did you find Raven?"

"What did Raven do?"

"What are the Rebels doing here?"

The other group turned from Raven and scowled. Tony knew that look too well, the look of blame and disagreement. Something was about to go down…

"The Royals. What are they doing here?"

…and Tony was going to stop it before it got too big.

He signaled for Steve to rush Raven to the infirmary. She was still alive…for now. They couldn't get worked up over this new development right now. They would find out more about these kids later, but Raven came first. Steve picked Raven up and disappeared inside. Clint, Natasha, and Thor stayed behind with Tony.

"It figures that the Royals would sink so low, you guys can't stand it if anyone other than you gets a Happily Ever After." The girl in the red cloak said…for a second there, it almost sounded like a growl.

"Look, we don't know what happened, but it's probably Raven's fault anyway. If she had just gone with the program everything would be _just right_." Said the girl on the other side. She turned her nose to the sky.

The two groups began to argue once more. _Royals_. _Rebels_. _Destiny_. _Choice_. Those words flew from their mouths like bullets. Were all of these kids from the same world Raven came from? What was with their fashion sense? Were crowns really that popular? Why was that girl made of wood?

"Enough!" Natasha screamed. Her voice probably echoed clear to the other side of New York. "I don't know who you kids are, and frankly I don't care. I want each of you in the tower now." She pointed to where Steve had disappeared into, and one by one, with stolen glances, and poison stares to one another, each kid followed suit and went into the tower.

Natasha leaned into Tony. "Maybe we can finally get some answers about what the hell's going on here."

Tony nodded. Answers would be really nice right now.

* * *

They were all seated in the Tower's living area, Apple and her friends on one side, and the "Rebels", as they were called, on the other. Steve came in through the door, and the entire room held its breath, waiting for news of Raven.

"She's alright," Steve said, "But…she's in a coma. We're not sure…" he looked to the ground, "We're not sure how long before she awakens."

Tony nodded and then turned his attention back to the teenagers who were currently taking up space in his tower. Nine angry teenagers, and one who was in a coma. Could this get any worse?

"Thor? What the hell were you thinking?" Clint said, none too silently.

Thor only shook his head, whether it was from guilt, or confusion, Tony could not decipher. "I only wanted to protect Princess Apple. She had said that Raven was a threat in her world. I merely dealt the first blow."

And then the room erupted.

"So this _is_ Apple's fault!"

"Apple? How could you do something so horrible?"

"Enough!" Natasha yelled again. She was getting really good at that. If Tony ever decided to have kids, he would make sure she baby sat.

Tony turned to the young woman who kept her face buried in her hands. Thor had introduced her as Apple. Perhaps it would be best to begin with her.

"Apple?" Tony said in the gentlest tone he could, "Could you please explain to us what is going on?"

For the first time in a long while, Apple held her head up, her face was as red as her name sake, her eyes were blotched with tears, but she stood up. "I-I am Apple White," she bowed slowly, "Daughter of Snow White."

Tony raised his hand to stop her. "Wait wait wait. What do you mean 'daughter of Snow White'?"

"She is my mother." Apple said.

"You mean Snow White as in, the seven dwarfs?" Tony asked.

Apple nodded. She then went down the row to introduce everyone "And this is Briar Beauty, daughter of Sleeping Beauty, Daring Charming, son of Prince Charming, Ashlynn Ella, daughter of Cinderella, and Blondie Lockes, daughter of Goldie Lockes."

What the fuck? Tony wanted to ask…but there were kids in the room.

"We are the sons and daughters of the fairy tale characters you grew up with." Apple continued. "It is our job to become the next generation of fairy tales for your children, so that our stories will continue to be told." Apple's voice was shaky, but she hid it well. Her body was unbalanced but she held her composure, it was as if she had been practicing it all her life.

Tony then turned to the 'Rebels', and they all nodded in agreement. "And what about you guys?" Tony asked.

The girl in the red cloak stood up first. "I am Cerise Hood, daughter of Red Riding Hood, that is Hunter Huntsman, son of the Huntsman, Cedar Wood, daughter of Pinocchio, and Maddie Hatter dau-"

"Daughter of the Mad Hatter, alright. Got it." Tony said.

Either these kids were nuts, or they were telling the truth. Tony really, _really_ hoped they were nuts. No one but a bunch of nutty kids could come up with something like this. As far as pranks go, this one was pretty…original. But the progenies of Fairy Tale characters? Maybe they all just got lost on their way to a cosmic costume party with a fairy tale theme…_that_ would make more sense.

"And Raven," Apple said, "is the daughter of the Evil Queen from Snow White."

Steve almost laughed, as did Tony, and the rest of the Avengers. Now Tony knew this had to be a prank. Raven? Evil? Granted, she was quiet and kept things to herself, but 'evil' wasn't really the word any of the Avengers would use to describe her…except maybe Thor.

"Uh…no offense, but Raven doesn't strike me as the evil type" Clint said as he shot a cold stare to Thor. If Thor had known that, perhaps Raven wouldn't be in the infirmary.

"So you see the problem." Apple said.

"Lady Apple," Thor said, "I miss your meaning, you told me that Raven had the power to steal away the happiness of others."

Apple nodded. "She does." She stepped forwards and began to explain. "You see, we all go to a school called Ever After High, and at this school we are prepared to follow our destines, which are to relive our parents stories. As the next Snow White I am destined to be poisoned, and Daring is destined to kiss me, and I shall become queen." Apple's face brightened at that thought; Queen. "But the problem is that Raven doesn't want to follow her destiny as the Evil Queen and if she isn't evil, then I can't get my Happily Ever After."

"And it's not just that," Briar said, "Her ideas have been spreading to the other students, and now there are other people who want to choose their own destinies too. They're destroying their stories."

"Well maybe some people want to have control of their own lives." Cedar said as she stood up. She might be a puppet, but she would not allow anyone to control her. "All you Royals talk about is destiny…what if you don't want it? What then? At least Raven has the guts to stand up for herself."

"Cedar," Blondie said, "You're not helping the problem you're just making it worse."

"_She's_ making it worse?" Cerise interrupted. "Tell that to the 'Fairest of them All' over there!"

So basically, everyone was upset at Raven because she was choosing _not_ to be evil? The Avengers knew of the fairy tales, who didn't? Without an Evil Queen to chase Snow White away, the story would never happen. But…that was their _parents'_ story. Why did it have to be theirs too?

"So, you guys are supposed to relive your parent's stories?" Steve asked.

They all nodded. So there was a division between Raven's world. Destiny against free will. Choice against predestination. She wanted to create her own story.

_Don't I get a choice?_

It finally made sense.

"Alright look." Steve said stepping forward. "We're going to assess this further. I want you kids to stay here." Steve turned to Natasha, "Widow, can you watch them?"

She nodded. Thor stayed behind as well.

The rest turned to leave. Perhaps they could check on Raven, but all of this was going a little too fast for Steve's liking, and not only that, he needed to have a conversation with Thor, but now was not the time.

Once they were out of ear shot of the…fairy tale kids, Tony began to breathe a little easier. "Those kids are nuts." He said.

"That crap doesn't even make any sense." Clint said.

"Well, first of all, if Raven's supposed to be the next Evil Queen, doesn't that mean she's supposed to be your stepmother? H-how does that work?"

"Yeah, and if those kids are supposed to be the next generation, does that mean that Pinocchio is going to be a girl from now on? So every time I read the story it's going to be about a girl?"

"And if Apple is supposed to be the next Snow White, why is her hair blonde? I mean, having black hair is pretty important to the story." Tony said.

As hard to believe as that entire spiel was, it was the only thing that made sense…kind of. Raven's strange way of speaking, Raven's magic, and her fashion choices all pointed to…fairy tales.

"So…what do we do now?" Tony asked. There were ten emotionally charged teenagers in the tower, and they made it pretty clear what they all were here for. They won't leave without Raven. Frankly, Tony still thought those kids were a few atoms short of a substance.

"We do everything we can for Raven," Steve said. "And we try to do a little more digging on those kids."

What kind of a world did those kids come from? If what they were saying was true, then what was the point for any of them? Growing up is about making mistakes and creating your own life, how can you do that if your life was already determined before you even had the chance to walk?

_Don't I get a choice?_

That was a very good question.


	12. Chapter 12

In Natasha's line of work it was important to know how to read people. All Natasha had to do was be placed in a room with anyone and she could walk away with basic knowledge, maybe more if needed, but it didn't take a super spy to know that these kids were agitated. Each person, each movement portrayed some deep yearning within them. Cinderella and the Huntsman kid couldn't stop staring at one another, but the moment their eyes met, they glanced away. Red Riding Hood swayed from side to side, as if stalking some unknown prey. Pinocchio never said anything, almost as if she were too afraid to say something she might regret. Goldie Locks glanced from side to side, nervous at the situation, and Prince Charming couldn't put his mirror down, despite the stressful (and possibly dangerous) situation they were in.

"Thor, watch these kids, I've gotta make a phone call."

Thor nodded and Natasha gracefully excused herself. Fury would need to hear of this.

She walked down the Avengers hallway and out into the courtyard, away from listening ears. This entire situation was screwed up. The sons and daughters of fairy tale characters? Natasha had seen men falling from the skies, thunder from nowhere, alien invasions, and sorcery from other dimensions…but this took the cake.

But the way Apple had explained the situation it made sense…kind of. It explained nearly everything about Raven, her manner of speaking, her strange technology, and her reluctance towards trusting others.

But was she right? Was it really right for her to try and change her destiny to the detriment of others?

Natasha sighed as the sun beamed onto her face. In her line of work she knew that the group came before the individual. If one person jeopardized the mission, the group did without them. If one member could not follow orders they were left back at base, and if the death of one member could save the rest…

Natasha closed her eyes and fought back the bile rising in her throat.

…that member was lost.

Cut off the finger to save the hand.

It was cold. It was ruthless.

But it was how the game was played.

Natasha held her wrist to face. "Black Widow calling HQ. Come in."

Natasha never paid much attention to stories as a little girl; dreams of being a princess were not a part of her life. She wasn't allowed that luxury. Yet here they were, all those fantasies she had rejected, heaped at her feet like discarded books.

The SHIELD tech division picked up her signal and responded. "This is HQ, go ahead Widow."

"Patch me through to Fury."

"Yes ma'am."

It wasn't fair that Raven was forced to fulfill a destiny she wanted nothing to do with…but how did her feelings become more important than those of the rest? Natasha appreciated individuality…she celebrated it…but not when it became a risk.

Raven was a risk to her whole world.

"This is Fury. Go ahead."

Natasha took one last look at Avengers Tower, where a princess now slept, and a war was just beginning.

"Fury, you're never going to believe this."

* * *

Thor hadn't said anything since he had struck Raven down. What could he say? Lady Apple had not lied to him, not really.

"I know what you're thinking, your majesty."

Thor turned to see Apple White stand before him, her shoulders squared and strong.

"My lady?"

"Come, let's speak privately." Apple said as she walked out of the room.

"B-but your friends."

Apple did not look back, she merely walked straight ahead, her posture never wavering. Thor didn't really have a choice. With one last look back at the silent teenagers, Thor held the hilt of his hammer, and followed.

"You think that I'm being selfish don't you?" Apple asked. The pair had stopped in front of a large window that overlooked the courtyard. Lady Natasha stood there, her body as still as stained glass.

"This is the very reason why I need Raven to sign the book. It keeps her, me, and everyone else safe" Apple said.

Thor tilted his head, he did not understand. "How can the promise of evil bring about a peaceful land?" If anything, Raven refusing to embark on this path was a benefit, was it not?

Apple took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. "When I was a little girl, I had gotten lost and I fell into a well." Apple remembered that day with more clarity than any other. She had fallen down a deep well. There was no light, and no matter how much she screamed her voice only echoed against the well walls. No one could hear her.

"I-I was terrified. That wasn't supposed to be a part of my story. My story, and everyone's story is preplanned." She wasn't supposed to be hurt, but if Raven got her way then what was stopping anyone from being hurled into a situation they could not predict? An event they could not escape from? A destiny that had no light at the end of it?

"Raven is proof enough, isn't she? If she had signed the book then she never would have come here and she…" Apple stopped, her throat clogged by fear. "I-I can't let that happen to anyone else. I…I just can't."

Destiny was the only thing that could keep them all safe.

Thor nodded. She was a queen after all. Was it not the queen's duty to serve her people? Protect them from any harm that may threaten them? Raven had a right to live by her own terms, but not at the expense of those she would hope to liberate.

Loki believed himself above his subjects. Did Raven as well? Loki had dreams of power, liberation, and his own twisted notion of freedom. In that respect, he and Raven were very much the same. Regardless of Raven's intentions, Thor could not allow her to place anyone else in jeopardy…not even herself.

Thor only placed his hands on Apple's shoulders.

"I understand my lady."


	13. Chapter 13

**I'm sorry this chapter took so long. Classes have started up again for me.**

* * *

"So…what do we do know?" Cedar asked as she removed a splinter from her arm. To be honest (not that she had a choice) she didn't expect something like this to happen. She had thought it would be a simple journey to retrieve Raven and bring her back to safety. She had no idea Apple and the Royals would be there as well.

"What can we do?" Hunter said as he stole a glance of Ashlynn, his eyes too quick to even really see her.

"We just have to wait," Maddie said. "She'll wake up…and then we'll go home."

…but what if she didn't wake up? What if Raven remained asleep Forever After? Back home, a long slumber was nothing to worry about. One kiss and all was set right.

But there was no kiss to break the curse. There was no curse to halt the story. There was just…a horrible accident that should never have been.

"Children?" Thor said as he walked back into the room, Apple by his side. "I have been informed by the Man of Iron that he had to leave. The Captain is seeing to your friend and I have been entrusted with your safety. There is no need to worry."

Cedar rolled her eyes. "Yeah…we're being protected by the guy who put our friend in a coma. I feel _real_ safe."

Apple almost felt like slamming her hands into a nearby table…but a queen did not do such things. "Cedar!" Apple said, "That was n-"

Thor straightened his shoulders, and cleared his throat. "No Princess Apple, she is correct, it was my over eager actions that led to this, and I take full responsibility." Thor tried to make himself seem as tall as he could, because inside he felt like he was the size of a worm. But a king, when he makes mistakes, accepts them and still continues on with his duties. Those were wise words his father taught him.

"Lady Raven is injured, and we are doing all that we can to aid her, but for now my task is to watch over you, and that is what I shall do."

"And let me guess," Cedar began, "If we don't do exactly what you say, you're gonna put the rest of us in comas, just like you did Raven?"

"Yeah," Cerise said, "For all we know you're just another one of Apple's fanboys who bow to her every whim."

"Cerise," Apple began. "That is far from the truth-"

"Apple, everyone at school knows that the only reason you want Raven to be evil is because you want to keep _your_ ending secure." Cedar said. That honesty thing was really coming in handy here.

"That's enough Cedar." Blondie said, "You Rebels just want to make everything wrong. We don't know _why_, but it stops today."

"Exactly." Daring said as he placed his mirror into his coat pocket.

"Everyone please," Apple said as she raised her hand, "Thor is a very wise man. He knows how to handle others and how to protect them. Why his father, the king-"

"So he's a _prince_ too?" Cedar asked.

"Great, so he's just another Royal trying to tell us how to live our lives. Perfect. Okay everyone, get ready to be put into comas." Cerise said, her arms folded and her posture slumped.

"My friends, please." Thor said, "I am not here to quarrel, my only purpose now is to keep you safe."

"That's elf-spit!"

"That's enough out of you Rebels"

"And here comes Daring trying to tell everyone what to do…again."

Thor rubbed his temples with his fingers. This was going to be more difficult than he first thought.

* * *

"How's she doing?" Steve asked to the ceiling. Raven lay asleep in her bed, and IV attached to her vein. How could anyone…anyone, believe that she could be evil? What kind of a world just throws people into a situation without giving them any choice in the matter?

"She is stable," came the slow mechanic reply. Jarvis was always watching.

But still no change.

Steve shook his head. He didn't want to leave Raven's side…but what good could he do here? He remembered an old saying from his army days, "Help where you can, and help who you can." At least he could tell her friends that Raven was okay…that was something.

With one last look, Steve turned to the door and walked out. He still needed to talk with Thor about what had happened. An innocent girl was now hospitalized, he did not know anything about Asgard, but that wasn't something that flew here.

Not by a longshot.

Steve walked into the Tower's living room to find…a bunch of yelling teenagers. Thor had his hands raised, trying to calm everyone down, but the "Rebels" wouldn't have any of it. Every time Thor went to speak, Red Riding Hood yelled louder. Every time Thor tried to reason, the Huntsman folded his arms and scowled.

This had gone on too long as it was.

"Enough!" Steve said. His voice echoed through the tower. "Look," he lowered his voice, "No matter what you all believe, I know you're all concerned about your friend. How do you think she'd feel if she knew you were fighting over her?" Steve felt his shoulders heaved. How could Thor have done that to her?

"I don't want any more of this fighting. Understood?"

The room fell silent, the Royals sat down, and the Rebels turned away. At least they weren't fighting any more.

Steve tapped Thor on the shoulder. "We need to speak with you privately."

Thor nodded his head and followed the good Captain out to the halls; hopefully the children would not destroy each other in their absence.

"Captain, thank you for your-"

"Enough Thor. What I said to those kids was just to get them to cool off. But that doesn't mean we're done. What were you thinking? H-how could you do that to Raven?"

Thor shook his head. "I did not know that my actions would bring this. Besides, Apple told me that-"

"So, you just bash a little girl? Without even stopping to get all of the facts?"

"The information I was given may have been without finer details, but that does not change the fact that Raven is dangerous to her world."

And then…Steve got made. "W-what?"

"As royalty, it falls to the leaders to protect their subjects from danger, and Raven represents just that by-"

"By what? By refusing to be evil? Is that what you're saying?" Steve couldn't believe what Thor was saying…did he _want_ Raven to commit those horrible atrocities?

"Friend Steve, each realm has a different set of rules, who are we to judge which rule is just or not? The fact remains that Raven is placing others in danger by-"

"By living her life on her own terms? And that gives you the right to try and harm her? Thor I d-"

"Why do you twist my words? I said no-"

"You said she needed to follow her destiny. And that she needs to be forced. Is that right?"

Thor's chest began to waver. He closed his eyes and breathed. It was not their place to question how another realm was ruled. He did not mean to harm Raven, but the fact remained she was the most dangerous thing to ever happen to Princess Apple's realm. She was just another Loki.

"Yes my friend. She does."


End file.
